Maybe this should go in the lactation thread but I'm really angry about it so here it goes...

STOP tweaking my nipples!

My nipples were absolutely raw last night, like newborn baby raw, just because she refuses to nurse without tweaking the opposite nipple at the same time. HARD! She screams bloody murder if I cover up the nipple, hold it, etc. what the fizzle! They are better today, but I think it's just because we were super busy all day and she got sidetracked from her MISSION IN LIFE.

Ohhhhhhhh, I hope your poor nipples feel better soon! My first was exactly the same - if I hid the other nipple, he would have a total meltdown and stop nursing until I forgot to keep it tucked away. Good luck on continuing that streak of non-tweaking!

_________________when you realise how perfect everything is, you will tilt you head back and laugh at the sky. -buddha

As soon as that shut started I kept the other nipple covered. It has been at least a year since he started the nipple tweaking and although it has never, ever been allowed he tries every time he nurses. Everyday it makes me reconsider nursing. The worst is when his nails get even a tiny bit long and then it is scratch and tweak central and I want to die. (I'm so dramatic)

My real vent: grey was being awesome and hilarious and then went to bed later than normal. Then he threw up all over everything.

Other vent: forking people letting their dogs off leash. My cats live here and hang ut in our driveway, when you let your dog off leash and it chases my cat and then barks at my cat and wakes up my baby I am going to be angry. Seriously, keep your dog on a leash. My cats don't chase your dog and no, I don't care if your dog likes cats. My cats hate everything besides lying in the sun.

Interestingly, neither of my kids have ever wanted to tweak the other nipple. But M pinches the non-nipple part of the breast that he's nursing on. It used to be just kneading, which annoyed me but which I understand is a baby milk expression thing. But now it's pinching. And scratching. And when I try to pry his little fingers off, he just gets worse about it. I give it a serious thumbs down.

Oh man, the nipple tweaking is the worst. Ada did it until about two months ago when I started having a major nursing aversion. So it was either I weaned her or figured out something different. I wouldn't let her touch the other boob at all and she fought it the first couple of days but then luckily she just sort of went with it.

Oh my god, the nipple tweaking. I had to put a stop to it, which was a long and painful process, because I have some pretty major sensory issues and it was either stop the tweaking, or stop nursing. That probably sounds extreme to some people, but I just could not deal. So once he figured out that the other nipple was off limits, he also started in on the kneading/pinching/scratching on the boob he's nursing on. We're still dealing with that one (years later), but it's better than in was and doesn't make me want to turn my skin inside-out like the nipple tweaking did.

Oh, yeah. I've pretty much gotten Inez to leave the other boob/nipple alone now (she still grabs at it, but I deflect her), but her new jam is grabbing/pinching/kneading my lip. My lips are always super dry and cracked and this makes it that much worse and hurts like a mother hubbard.

Sometimes I just reflect on how miraculous it is that the human species has survived. I mean, seriously. A hundred thousand years ago, without social pressure and the threat of jail etc, how did half the babies out there not end up abandoned?

Sometimes I just reflect on how miraculous it is that the human species has survived. I mean, seriously. A hundred thousand years ago, without social pressure and the threat of jail etc, how did half the babies out there not end up abandoned?

I think probably a lot of babies did get abandoned or neglected to death. I mean, even with the threat of jail some people still do that to their kids. The mothering instinct is powerful, but apparently not powerful enough in some cases.

Oh yeah, the face grabbing is big here too. tw just figured out a couple weeks ago that she can reach my nose, and mostly she just holds onto it and pats it (cute, but slightly annoying) but then sometimes she sticks her fingers straight up my nostrils--arg! Slobbery baby fingers with the nails of doom, right up the nose.

a) Take a nap!!!!b) Why does my mother in law reliably call us on the (loud) home phone every time I'm trying to put the kid down for a nap or for the night? At least once every other day this happens. And she never has anything worthwhile to say anyway.

Oh yeah, the face grabbing is big here too. tw just figured out a couple weeks ago that she can reach my nose, and mostly she just holds onto it and pats it (cute, but slightly annoying) but then sometimes she sticks her fingers straight up my nostrils--arg! Slobbery baby fingers with the nails of doom, right up the nose.

Heh. We have this.

To my older son: I remember being younger and thinking everything was kind of a big deal all the time, so I sort of understand where you're coming from. But take it from someone who knows: it's not all that big of a deal! If we don't go to the park twice in one day.... That doesn't negate the fact that you spent 2 hours there earlier in the day. It doesn't mean we're never going to the park again. It doesn't need to inspire heartfelt full on weeping!

He doesn't tantrum a lot these days but instead he pulls this... Really heartbroken thing. It seems like it's getting worse! Argh.

He doesn't tantrum a lot these days but instead he pulls this... Really heartbroken thing. It seems like it's getting worse! Argh.

Ugh, Silas did this for awhile! Instant steaming tears of ultimate sadness over every little thing. World ending. The worst part is how everyone felt SO SORRY for him every time. Quit encouraging him, people.

It's so hard because even though I *know* he's manipulating me (whether intentionally or not), it still really tugs my heart strings.

Yesterday another mom at the park was bad mouthing her (same age) daughter and being like "girls are so dramatic!" and I was like yeah, pretty sure it's not a girl thing, because my son's that way too.

STOP SITTING ON THE CAT! Seriously, you are covered in scratches and bites, because you will not stop sitting on them. And you know this, because you don't even cry when they scratch you (unless they get you in the face). For someone who spends all day naked, you are quite foolhardy.

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

It's so hard because even though I *know* he's manipulating me (whether intentionally or not), it still really tugs my heart strings.

Yesterday another mom at the park was bad mouthing her (same age) daughter and being like "girls are so dramatic!" and I was like yeah, pretty sure it's not a girl thing, because my son's that way too.

See, with Silas I don't think he was purposefully manipulating me. He just feels everything very instantly and very strongly. We worked on taking a deep breath before reacting and eventually he stopped doing it. I really think he just needed to learn how to control his emotions.

TOTALLY not a girl thing. Tonight at soccer practice, I kept talking to Silas about not pushing an grabbing back when other kids do it to him and all the moms laughed and told me that's how boys behave. Not mine! Sorry ladies, not happening. Probably not yours either, if you didn't decide they were meant to.

Oh, jeez. I hate the "that's just how boys play!!!!" thing too. That's not how any kid of mine is going to play if I have any input into it.

And, to clarify above, I don't think E is usually *trying* to be manipulative consciously. Sometimes he for sure is, but not usually. I really do remember being so certain that everything was so important... And I think I still take some things much more seriously than some other people, so I kinda get it but... Oy.

Oh, and the boys thing. I pointed out Shae, who at age 14 does not , nor has he ever, played like that. I do remember now why I hated Kindergarten so much though! Even though every other kid was hitting and playing nonstop weapons & death, teaching Shae it was not okay for our family was probably one of my top least fun things to do ever.

But you guys, all boys are exactly the same! They all like sports and dirt and eat everything. Every single one of them.

I remember reading an article that j-dub posted about how our culture doesn't seem to expect men to be able to empathize with women, and these posts make me wonder if we create that culture when we just gloss over unkind behaviour as "boys being boys." Its really great that you are both raising your sons to be kind people.

_________________My oven is bigger on the inside, and it produces lots of wibbly wobbly, cake wakey... stuff. - The PoopieB.

Yeah - today I got "she's such a boy" on the playground when she was dressed in all blue. A few hours later after a "costume change," our neighbor said she was "such a girl." Both times she was just being such a Malka.